


Better Late Than Never

by found_the_good_things



Category: We Are The Tigers - Allen
Genre: Gen, I have no idea why i wrote this, I'm so sorry, complete overuse of ..., it's a mess, what even are titles, yes cairo slouches like kate in don't even
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29054583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/found_the_good_things/pseuds/found_the_good_things
Summary: It's the tigers' first practice after Riley's confession, and Cairo is incredibly nervous. Look, she thinks she's pretty justified in being nervous, but... she's always wanted to be captain. This situation isn't ideal, but here's her chance to prove she's a good captain.~TW in the notes!
Relationships: Cairo & Mattie (We Are The Tigers)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Better Late Than Never

**Author's Note:**

> \- Chess is mentioned a few times  
> \- Canon-compliant mentions of stabbing, murder, and death  
> \- Very offhand mention of a car wreck (they get stuck in traffic)

Cairo had always sort of wanted to be captain.

That was there, in the back of her mind. Sort of a longing to be the one in charge of coordinating uniforms, leading practice, and finalizing routines. She wanted to be able to add captain of the cheer team to her college resumes and casually mention it in conversation to impress people. But cheer captain was always Riley’s thing.

Cheer in general was always Riley’s thing, really. She was the one who was so desperate to make the squad when they were freshmen, who wore her cheer uniform to every first day of school, and who came to Cairo’s house after her very first practice with shining eyes and a whisper of “Cai, I want to be captain.” And even before high school, Riley was obsessed with cheerleading. She used to choreograph routines in her backyard, she was a cheerleader every Halloween, and she would make pom poms out of whatever she could get her hands on. Cairo was just along for the ride.

And then finally,  _ finally _ , it was the last week of junior year, and Riley was the only one who ran for captain. Cairo could have run, and she probably would have won - she was a thousand times more popular than Riley was, and even the other cheerleaders who hated her hated Riley more. But Riley had wanted this for years, so just like always, Cairo stepped aside and let Riley have her moment.

Maybe she shouldn’t have done that. Maybe, if she’d run for captain, Riley would have lost and then maybe Chess, Farrah, and Clark would still be here.

_ Or maybe Riley would’ve killed me for the captain’s spot. _

Cairo shakes that thought from her head. She needs to keep her cool today - all six of them have been back at school for two weeks now, but today is their first practice. Cairo doesn’t intend to get much cheering done, probably not for a few weeks at least, and her only goal is just to sit and talk without screaming at each other.

Kate might cause problems, but Cairo sort of suspects that she’s had enough of purposefully distracting and derailing the team. She might throw in an annoying comment here and there, but honestly, those would be welcome - they’d feel so normal. Annleigh can be obnoxious at times, but she’s been quieter and calmer since losing Clark and Farrah. Cairo doesn’t see her much, since they’re in different grades, but she’s hoping that as long as she keeps Annleigh away from Reese, she’ll be fine. Reese has been dying (Cairo cringes a little at her own choice of words) to make the team for years, and she’d probably do anything Cairo says if it meant getting to stick around. Cairo barely knows Eva - she’s a year younger, and they weren’t on the team together before. But from what she can tell, Eva is a nice kid, quiet, and a talented cheerleader. What Cairo  _ is _ worried about is Mattie.

God, she still feels so guilty. Every time she sees a GCHS water bottle, she winces. Honestly, she hadn’t even expected Mattie to come back to the team, but she got a text a week and a half ago from her that said she planned to rejoin the squad, if that was okay. Cairo, of course, said yes, and that was it. She hasn’t even seen Mattie in the halls or anything.

The bell rings, and Cairo is one of the first ones out of the classroom. She puts her earbuds in, but nothing on her playlist is quite  _ right _ , so there’s nothing playing. That’s probably not a good sign for how nervous she is, but she kind of doesn’t really care.

School ends at 3:05, but practice doesn’t technically start until 3:15. The idea is to give the team time to talk to teachers after class, stop by their lockers, and/or change into practice clothes, so that at 3:15 they’re ready for warmups, but since the school can’t technically dictate what the squad does for those ten minutes, most of the time, people don’t show up until the last second. It used to drive Riley crazy, even before she was captain, but… well, Cairo is a different kind of captain than Riley was.

She decides to drag out a mat for them to sit on, more to keep herself busy than anything else, and as she drags out the mat and pulls out her clipboard and double-checks her planner, nobody shows up. It’s 3:13 before anyone arrives - Reese, having changed into practice clothes, beaming excitedly.

Cairo waves her over to the corner. “Hey, Reese. I, uh, I’m glad you see you’re changed and stuff, but we’re not actually gonna do any practicing today, I think.”

“Oh.” Reese looks down at her leggings and GCHS t-shirt. “Um. It’s not really worth changing again, though, right?”

“No, not really.” Cairo gestures to the mat. “You’re welcome to sit, we’re just waiting for everyone else.”

Reese sits in the corner, fiddling with her shoelaces. Her hair is in a ponytail today, even though she normally wears space buns. Cairo hadn’t realized Reese’s hair was so long.

The next through the door is Annleigh, just barely on time - she walks in right as the clock above the door ticks to 3:15. She’s still in her skirt and hoodie, but Cairo says she doesn’t have to change, so she comes over and sits. She’s smiling, but it’s not quite reaching her eyes, and she’s very quiet. Reese tries to start up a conversation, but all of her answers are just a word or two. Cairo kind of admires Reese for trying, though.

“You have sixth period with Eva, right?” Cairo asks Annleigh. “Do you have any idea where she is?”

Annleigh shrugs. “She’s here today. Haven’t seen her besides that, though. And both my classes with Kate are in the morning.”

Just then, the door opens, and Eva shoves Kate in ahead of her. Kate is loudly complaining, but there’s definitely a hint of joking to her tone, and she’s not actively trying to leave. Eva’s good-naturedly exasperated smile is yet another clue to how Kate’s faking all of that begging to leave.

“We could totally just skip it,” Kate whines. “Is it worth it?”

“I can hear you,” Cairo calls.

“Yeah, I know.”

Eva takes Kate’s bag and lightly hits her shoulder. “We’re staying. I really don’t expect you to, like, melt into a puddle or whatever.”

“We could try throwing water on her,” Cairo mutters under her breath.

Kate throws up a middle finger at her. Cairo smirks.

“Sorry we’re late,” Eva says, dropping both bags by the wall. “I had to double check my schedule for next year with the counselor, and then  _ someone _ ‘accidentally’ dropped everything in their locker.”

“It  _ was _ an accident!” Kate protests.

Eva gives her a dubious look.

“Anyways, we’re not actually practicing today,” Cairo interrupts.  _ Since when have they been friends? _ “I’m just not sure that’s a great idea. We’ll probably only go for a max of an hour - I just want to talk, try to get along. Most of us haven’t spoken to each other since… you know.”

Suddenly, nobody else can look at each other. Kate’s wearing jeans, but Cairo thinks she might be able to see the bandage on her thigh.

“So, um,” Cairo says awkwardly. “Thanks, you guys, for staying on the team this semester. I know it’s not easy, but it’s appreciated.”

“Yeah, there’s something about surviving a murderer that, uh, really brings people together, you know?” Kate says. Her tone, like always, is laced with sarcasm, but there’s something sincere and genuine about her expression.

Cairo looks around, then back down at her clipboard. There’s only two bulletpoints: “make sure everyone survives the afternoon” and “apologize to Mattie.” “Um, does anyone know where Mattie is?”

“She’s still on the team?” Annleigh says, looking surprised.

“Yeah, she texted me last week. I thought she was coming…” Cairo checks her phone - 3:20. “Has anyone seen her today?”

Nobody says yes.

_ Maybe she changed her mind. Maybe she’s not coming. _

“I can go look for her,” Eva offers weakly.

Cairo shakes her head. “If she doesn’t want to come, I’m not going to make her.”

Just then, the door opens, and Mattie rushes in, panting and her backpack half-unzipped. “Oh my gosh, I am  _ so _ sorry,” she says, looking over at the group. “I was finishing up a quiz in biology and I didn’t realize I was taking so much time-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Cairo says gently, cutting her off. “You don’t need to make excuses, we’re just glad you’re here.” She gestures to the mat. “We’re not planning on actually doing any  _ practicing _ today, just talking. You don’t need to change.”

Mattie nods and hesitantly approaches, sitting down next to Annleigh.

“Okay. So, now that I’ve said the obligatory ‘thanks for being here,’” Cairo takes a deep breath, “I would like to officially apologize to Mattie.”

All the others except Eva and, of course, Mattie, repeats the apology.

“We’re really sorry, Mattie,” Cairo says, looking her in the eye. “I would say all the bullshit like ‘we panicked’ or whatever, but the fact is, we framed you and ruined the first half of your freshman year and almost the next fifteen years of your life, and there’s nothing that can excuse that.”

Mattie thinks for a minute, then nods. “It did suck. And I really wish you hadn’t. But I forgive you. I think you’ve learned your lesson, right? And all that matters is that the person who was actually at fault is now facing the consequences.”

The mental image of Riley in an orange jumpsuit hits Cairo like a train, and she has to pause for a moment before continuing.

“Right.” She nods, and takes a deep breath, and wonders if she’s imagining the atmosphere in the gym being a little bit lighter.

It’s quiet again for another few minutes, and it’s fine at first, but Cairo quickly starts to feel really awkward. Should she do an icebreaker? Or play a game? Maybe she still has that deck of cards in her bag…

Kate’s been leaning against the wall, noticeably the only one not sitting on the mat, but she suddenly steps forward and comes to sit between Eva and Reese. She’s not looking anyone in the eye, and stays quiet, but just having Kate be part of the group is making Cairo feel a little bit more… optimistic.

“You know how the counseling department hung up a bunch of riddles all over the building?” Reese says after a few more minutes. “I think I figured out the answers to all of them except for the one by the library.”

“Which one is that?” Eva asks.

“Uh…” Reese pulls out her phone and checks the counseling website. “‘What is able to go up a chimney when down, but unable to go down a chimney when up?’”

“An umbrella,” Kate says before Eva even gets the chance to think. “I looked it up.”

“That’s cheating,” Reese accuses.

“So is asking for help,” Annleigh points out.

“And I don’t think it’s cheating if you don’t care whether or not you win,” Kate adds.

Cairo watches her team argue the finer points of the line between cheating and asking for help with a smile on her face. Sure, it might be a little tense and awkward, and she’s sure that once they actually start practicing, it might be a bit of a mess, but for now, at least, they’re getting along, and that’s a start.

“Cairo, what do you think?” Mattie asks suddenly.

Cairo snaps out of her trance. “I mean, I don’t think Kate technically did or didn’t cheat, if she’s not competing. Reese, though, technically did, ‘cause you’re not supposed to ask for help, right? So… I guess I’m on Kate’s side.”

“Cai, did you just  _ agree _ with me?” Kate says slowly.

“I absolutely did not,” Cairo lies.

“No, I think you did,” Eva interjects. “You literally echoed all of their points  _ and _ said you were on their side.”

Cairo starts to argue, but the use of  _ they _ catches her off guard. “Uh, I’m- sorry, did I- did I miss something? With your pronouns, Kate?”

Everyone’s attention falls on Kate, who looks like a deer caught in the headlights. “Um… yeah, about that… I’ve kind of been thinking about, uh, trying out she/they for a bit? And, um, I asked Eva to-to use it for me today so you guys would notice and I didn’t have to, like, make a stupid announcement or whatever.”

It’s quiet for a moment. Kate picks at a spot where the mat is coming apart, and Cairo idly thinks she should tell them to stop.

“We can do that, right, guys?” Cairo says. “Thanks for telling us. I want you to feel comfortable on the team.”

Kate looks up at her with an incredulous look, but then smiles a little. “Thank you, Cai.”

Something in the back of Cairo’s mind reminds her of Riley’s little “colors of the rainbow” speech, and the way it had made Kate look horrified and storm out of the basement for the second time that night. This is certainly an improvement over that.

The rest of practice continues… fine. Nobody shouts, or even gets angry. They carefully tiptoe around the topic of Riley, Clark, Farrah, and Chess. The team talks  _ about _ Kate a little more than is probably normal, considering she’s sitting right there, but every time someone calls them “they,” Kate lights up a little bit, so the team’s good intentions are paying off.

Cairo decides to call it good after about 45 minutes - Mattie looks incredibly nervous, and Annleigh jumps when Cairo accidentally drops her water bottle, so it’s probably about time to end practice before someone freaks out. Reese heads back to the locker room to change, Annleigh calls some Dane that Cairo’s never heard of for a ride, and Kate practically drags Eva out of the gym. Cairo laughs a little as she puts the mat away, mentally patting herself on the back for a good practice. 

Once Reese has left, Cairo takes one last look around to make sure nobody forgot anything, then heads out of the building, a smile playing on her lips. Suddenly, all the music on her playlist sounds a whole lot more appealing, and she pauses by the tree to find something to listen to.

She settles on a song after a couple minutes, but she immediately hits pause when she looks up and sees Mattie sitting on the bench. It’s still pretty chilly, and the poor kid doesn’t have enough layers - she’s totally gotta be freezing.

“Uh, hey, Mattie,” Cairo says hesitantly. “Where’s your ride?”

Mattie looks up, eyes wide and startled. “Oh, um, my mom doesn’t get off work until 5:30, so…”

“5:30? Mattie, it’s barely 4:15,” Cairo says. “And it’s way too cold. C’mon, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Oh- no, you don’t have to-”

“I want to.” Cairo pulls out her keys. “Non-negotiable. Let’s go.”

Mattie seems to think for a moment, but then she stands up, gathering her stuff and following Cairo across the parking lot. Cairo unlocks her car and tosses her bag in the backseat, and after a moment, Mattie throws her bag in the back, too.

Cairo holds out her phone as Mattie climbs in, Google Maps open on her screen. “Would you mind putting your address in real quick?”

“Oh, um, sure.” Mattie types it in, and Cairo turns up the volume on her phone speaker to play the directions.

They drive in silence for a bit, Mattie fidgeting with the hem of her sweater and Cairo gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than might be necessary. It’s awkward, and heavy, and Cairo hates it so much, but she can’t seem to make herself ask if Mattie’s okay with having the radio on.

Just a few miles from the Wheeler house, they hit some really bad traffic. Cairo tries to see past the long line of cars ahead of them, but she can’t see anything. “Ugh, seriously?” she mutters.

Mattie checks her phone. “I think there was a wreck up ahead.”

“So we’ll be here awhile.” Cairo sits back with a slouch in her spine. “Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s just traffic.” Mattie doesn’t tear her gaze away from a loose thread sticking out from her sweater.

Cairo stares out the window, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. The silence is even more deafening while stuck in traffic, and it’s quickly becoming too much to bear.

“Thanks for the apology earlier,” Mattie says quietly.

“I owe you way more than an apology,” Cairo tries to joke. “I really am sorry, Mattie.”

Mattie shrugs. “I’ve been thinking about that. About you guys, and the whole ‘framing me for murder’ situation. And it sucks, and I kind of am still a little mad, but… I don’t know what to do about it. It’s not like we can go back in time and fix everything.”

“I would if I could,” Cairo murmurs. If only she could go back, she could stop Riley from ever hurting anyone. Chess, Farrah, and Clark would still be here, and Cairo would still have her Riley.

“But we can’t.” Mattie pauses for a moment. “The only thing we can do is just keep going.”

Cairo thinks about that for a second. “How is that going for you?”

“I don’t know. Some days are better than others. Sometimes I feel fine and normal, but other days… I’ve been back for two weeks and I’ve already missed a day and a half of school because I wasn’t up to it.” Mattie half-shrugs. “But I’m getting through it. You?”

Cairo takes a shaky breath. “It’s definitely been really hard. I didn’t- I never thought- she was my best friend. I never thought she’d ever do anything like that.”

Mattie doesn’t say anything.

“But at the same time, I feel bad about feeling like she betrayed me, you know?” Cairo continues. “I mean, Chess was Kate’s best friend, and now she’s dead. Fuck, Kate got fucking  _ stabbed _ . And Annleigh lost her boyfriend and her sister in the same night.”

“You’re still allowed to be upset,” Mattie says quietly. “Kate and Annleigh aren’t the only ones who went through hard stuff they need to heal from.”

“I guess.” There’s another moment of silence. “Shit, Mattie, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be unloading on you.”

“It’s okay.” Mattie reaches out and puts a hand on Cairo’s arm. “Cairo, that night was awful for both of us. You didn’t get off easy just ‘cause you didn’t get sent to prison. You lost your best friend.”

Cairo swallows hard and nods.

Mattie takes her hand back. “I think it’ll be okay, Cairo, but you have to let yourself heal first.”

Neither of them say anything else for the rest of the drive. The next time they speak is Mattie thanking Cairo for the ride as Cairo grabbed her bag for her. She drives home in silence, the radio abandoned for now. She doesn’t normally do that, but today, she has a lot to think about.

Cairo has always wanted to be captain. She never thought that this was how she’d finally get the job, but she  _ does _ know that she’s always thought she’d make a good captain. And even though everything else sucks, maybe she  _ can _ be a good captain. Today was…

Today was a good day. Not a great day - the Giles Corey tigers will never have a great day - but a good day. And that’s more than enough for Cairo.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!! feel free to send any watt-related asks to me on tumblr, @/i-don-t-even-care!!!


End file.
